San Antonio's "Alamo Cenotaph" pays tribute
to the men who died defending the ancient
mission in 1836 rather than surrender to
overwhelming odds.
Titled "The Spirit of Sacrifice," the Cenotaph
(or "empty tomb") was created by sculptor
Pompeo Coppini from a design envisioned
by architect Carlton Adams. Begun in 1937,
the Cenotaph took two years to complete and
is itself now a historical treasure.
According to tradition the Alamo Cenotaph
marks the spot where the slain defenders of
the fortified mission were piled after the
battle and burned in great funeral pyres. The
remains were later collected by local citizens
and today located in a marble casket at
nearby San Fernando Cathedral.
Erected through the auspices of the Texas
Centennial Commission, the monument is
sculpted from Georgia marble and stands
upon a base of pink Texas granite.
Seen on the sides of the Cenotaph are
carvings of the Alamo defenders, including
depictions of William B. Travis, Jim Bowie,
David Crockett and James B. Bonham. The
monument also bears the names of men
who died at the Alamo.

The United States is one of the most diverse countries on earth, jam packed full of amazing sights from St. Patrick's cathedral in New York to Mount Hollywood California.The Northeast region is where it all started. Thirteen British colonies fought the American Revolution from here and won their independence in the first successful colonial rebellion in history. Take a look at these rolling hills carpeted with foliage along the Hudson river here, north of New York City.The American south is known for its polite people and slow pace of life. Probably they move slowly because it's so hot. Southerners tend not to trust people from "up north" because they talk too fast. Here's a cemetery in Georgia where you can find graves of soldiers from the Civil War.The West Coast is sort of like another country that exists to make the east coast jealous. California is full of nothing but grizzly old miners digging for gold, a few gangster rappers, and then actors. That is to say, the West Coast functions as the imagination of the US, like a weird little brother who teases everybody then gets famous for making freaky art.The central part of the country is flat farmland all the way over to the Rocky Mountains. Up in the northwest corner you can find creative people in places like Portland and Seattle, along with awesome snowboarding and good beer. Text by Steve Smith.

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